Lamp holder



Feb. 23, 1954 J. E. BROCK ET AL LAMP HOLDER Filed Ooi. 26, 1951 III .106 116 54 115" f/y' JZZ 1z0 105110 3 the table I2 and extending circularly over 28 of the 24 ports is a tunnel-like oven 20.

Port

Each port I4 consists of a compression rubber assembly 2i and pinch clamp rubber assembly 22. Assembly 2| consists, as shown in Fig. 2, of an apertured exhaust rubber 23 mounted on a lower washer 24 in a hollow compression rubber body 25 to which is threaded on the upper end a cap 26 having a laterally extending lever or arm 28; an upper washer 38 on rubber 23; and ball bearings 32 between the cap 26 and` washer 38. This cap 26 either presses washer 38 through ball bearings 32 against the exhaust rubber 23 to squeeze it about an exhaust tubulation 34 of a tubular lamp 36, thereby effecting an air-tight connection therewith, or releases the pressure on said rubber 23 to facilitate insertion or withdrawal of the tubulation 34 therefrom.

, Extending below table I2, and threaded to the lower portion of body 25, is a hollow housing 38 of the pinch clamp rubber assembly 22. In addition to housing 38, assembly 22 comprises a cylindrical pinch-oli rubber 48 within housing 38, and a bottom retaining plate 42 having a hole 44 in which an exhaust pipe or sweep 46 is secured.

Lamp holder body This tubular lamp holder |61 of our invention comprises a holder body 48 (Fig. 2), an upper lamp rest 58 and a lower lamp rest 52 on said body, and a gravitational slide block 54 with a laterally extending clamping arm assembly 58 slidable on said body. The portion of a face 49 of this holder or plate-like body 48, adjacent the compression rubber assembly 4I, slopes rearwardly to form bottom portion 51 of reduced width. A rod-like bottom extremity `S, projecting from said bottom portion 51, is cylindrical and of smaller diameter than the width of said bottom portion 51 and threaded for insertion into a' hole 68 in the table I2, and for securement therein, as by means of a nut 62.

Above the sloping portion of the face 49, and centered near said face, a vertical lower slot 64, shown in Figs. 2 and 6 as having a length greater than the maximum desired travel of block 54, is cut through holder body 48.. An inclined upper slot 6 6, shown in Figs. 2 and 4, sloping downwardly and away from face 49, approximately from the vertical, is provided in the upper portion of body 48.

The holders I6 are securely centered in the desired vertical position, axially parallel to the axis of the ports I4, by a series of upper holder support brackets S8 (Figs. l and 2) of generally arcuate or curved coniiguration. The ends of adjacent brackets 68 yoverlap and are secured to the top of the body 48, as by means of screws 69 and 18. The width of brackets 68 is necessarily smaller as compared to the length to permit their passage with suicient clearance through the 'oven 28.

Upper lamp rest *'lhe adjustable upper lamp rest 58, shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, consists of two complementary vertical plates 12 and 14, each hav- Ving shallow holder body slots 15 and 18 in their respective inner faces and symmetrical tapered or beveled edges B8 and 82 on one end diverging outwardlyr from said inner face for receiving a tubular lamp 36 therebetween. These plates 12 and 14 suitably longer than the width 4 of the holder body 46 are secured about said body in any desired location above slot 66 in body 48 by bolts 83 and 84, extending through the end portion of plates 12 and 14, and nuts 85 and 86.

Lower lamp rest The adjustable lower lamp rest 52, yshown in Fig. 2, suitably identical to upper .lamp rest 58, consists of two plates, namely one plate 88 and another not shown, having slots and tapered edges respectively similar to slots 16 and 18 and edges 88 and 82. These plates are attached about body 48 in any desired location below slot 64 in body 48 by bolts 99 and |88 through the end portions of the respective plates.

It will be understood that upper lamp rest 58 may also serve as a stop complementary to slots 64 and 66 'by limiting the upward motion of slide block 54 and that lower V-block 52 may operate in a similar manner to restrict the downward motion of said block 54.

Gravitational slide block This gravitational slide block 54, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, consists of sidei plates |84 and |86 having tapered edges |88 and ||8, respectively, similar in shape to edges 88, 82. In plate |83 below slot 66 are provided two threaded holes i I I and I I2 for securing clamping arm assembly 56, as hereinafter described. A special bolt ||3 (Figs. 2 and 4) having an unthreaded shank portion I I4 and a threaded end portion I|6 of smaller diameter than the shank portion ||4, extends through a hole II8 in said plate |84, a roller I 8 in the upper inclined slot 66, and a hole i28 in side plate |86. This roller IIS is carried on the shank portion I I4 within the inclined slot 63. A nut |22 on threaded end portion I I6 holds the side plate |86 against the adjacent end of the shank portion I I4. By means of this shank portion I I4 there is provided suicient clearance between holder body 48 and side plates |84 and 86 to permit .the desired gravitational sliding action of slide block 54.

Another special bolt |24 (Figs. 2 and 6) simila to bolt I I3, having a shank portion |26 carrying a roller |21 and a threaded portion |28 extends through a hole |38 in the side plate |84, roller |21 in lower` vertical slot 64, and a hole |32-in side plate |86. A nut |33 is provided on portion |28 for securing plate |86 to shank portion |28.l

Clamping arm assembly The clamping arm assembly 56, shown in Figs.' 2 and 5, comprises a spacer plate |34 on the plate i855, a clamping arm or plate |36 on plate |34, and a laterally extending clamping nger |38 tting a hole I36 in the outer extremity of the arm |36 and secured therein as by pinning.' Arm |36, spacer |34 and plate I84 are secured together, as by bolts |48 and I 42 extending through suitable holes in the arm |36, thespacer |34 and into the threaded holes III and II2 in side plate |84 of slide block 54. At the end of the sliding action of slide block 54 on body 48, finger |38, rod-like in shape, secures the lamp 36in the edges 88 and 82 of upper lamp rest 58 and the corresponding edges of lower lamp rest 52 and axially aligns the lamp with port I4.- v

Operation At station I of the automatic exhaust machine I8, shown in Fig. 7, the portion of the tubulation 34 of a last tipped oi lamp 36 remaining lin a compressionl rubber assembly ,2l of a port I 4 is removed. Then the tubulation 34 of a lamp 36 to be exhausted is tted in the exhaust rubber 23, being securely centered in holder i6, as hereinafter explained, at station 2 or 3. At stations 4 to 23 the lamp is baked in oven 20 at approximately 350 C. The lamp is also pumped out in stations 4 and 5. A dry nitrogen gas flush is introduced at stations 6, 8, I0, I2 and I4. In the adjoining stations 1, 9, I I, I3 and |5 the gas is pumped out. The lamp is continuously pumped at stations I 6 through 2| and given a iinal nitrogen ll at stations 22 and 23. Finally, at station 24 the lamp 36 is automatically tipped off and unloaded from the holder I6 by the exhaust operator.

In order to load a lamp 36 into a port I4 of machine I0, according to our invention, the exhaust machine operator rst pushes the slide block 54 upwardly on holder body 48 with her left hand until the block hits upper lamp rest 50 or until bolt I I3 hits the upper end of inclined slot 66 in body 48. With the block 54 in' this positionthe clamping finger |33 on arm |36 is moved outwardly sufficiently distant from the holder body 48 to permit insertion ofthe lamp 36, held in the operators right hand, between the edges 80 and 82 of upper lamp rest 50, the similar edges of lower lamp rest 52 and the clamping finger |38, and to introduce a tubulation 34 of lamp 36 into the exhaust rubber 23 of compression rubber assembly 2|. The operator now releases the gravitational slide block 54. The force of gravity moves the bolt ||3 diagonally downward in the inclined slot 66 and the clamping :linger I 38 against lamp I 36, thereby securely centering said lamp axially above the port I4 and against the edges of lamp rests 50 and 52 respectively. With her right hand the operator turns the lever 28, thereby compressing rubber 23 about tubulation 34 to effect an air-tight connection therewith.

Further, according to our invention, to unload the lamp 36 after tip-off at station 24, the operator merely lifts the lamp. This motion vforces the bolt |I3 upwardly in the inclined slot 66 and releases the gravitational force of block 54 on lamps 36, thereby permitting its easy removal from the holder I6.

Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing that our tubular lamp holder I 6 has overcome the disadvantages of the prior art spring-loaded jaws and the loose-iltting guide rings of the conventional holders. Our holder I6 securely centers a tubular lamp 36 in the port I4 of the machine I0 and insures accurate loading and unloading of the lamps 36 from the machine I0.

Whereas a preferred embodiment of our invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that modications may be made within the spirit and scope. of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A tubular lamp holder for an automatic exhaust machine having a holder body, said body having a threaded lower extremity, a lower vertical slot and an inclined upper slot therethrough, a lamp rest secured about each end of the body, said lamp rests having two side plates each with an outwardly diverging edge on one end complementary to each other and a gravitational slide block slidable on said body, said block having two block side plates each with a side edge similar to said lamp rest edges, a bolt for slidably securing said block side plates about said body and extending through said block side plates a roller on said bolt and slidable in said upper inclined slot, a second bolt extending through said block side plate, a second roller on said second bolt and slidable in said lower vertical slot, and a clamping arm assembly secured to said block.

2. A tubular lamp holder for an automatic exhaust machine having a holder body, said body having a threaded lower extremity, a vertical lower slot and an inclined upper slot therethrough, a lamp rest secured about each end of the body, said lamp rest having two side plates each with an outwardly diverging edge on one end complementary to each other, and a gravitational slide block slidable on said body, said block having two block side plates each with a side edge similar to said lamp rest edges, a bolt for slidably securing said block side plates about said body and extending through said block side plates, a roller on said bolt and slidable in said inclined upper slot, a second bolt extending through said block side plates, a second roller slidable in said vertical lower slot, and a clamping arm assembly secured to said block, said clamping arm assembly comprising a spacer plate on one of said block side plates, a clamping arm on said spacer, and a laterally extending clamping finger on said arm. 3. An automatic exhaust machine having an indexing table, a series of exhaust ports arranged around the periphery of said table and a series of vertical gravitational tubular lamp holders adjacent and above said ports, each of said holders having a body secured to said table between said ports, a lamp rest secured about each end of said body and having lamp holder edges centered axially parallel to the axis of a port, a gravitational slide block slidable on said body and a clamping arm assembly on said body. JOHN E. BROCK. DOMINICK ZANOTTI.

References cites in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hain Nov. '7, 1950 

